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Is There Really a Generation Gap?
According to the results of a survey in USA WEEKEND Magazine, there isn’t really a
generation gap. The magazine’s “Teens & Parents” survey shows that today’s
generation of young people generally get along well with their parents and appreciate
the way they’re being raised. Most feel that their parents understand them, and they
5 believe their parents consider family as the No. 1 priority in their lives. Although more
than a third of teens have something in their rooms they would like to keep secret from
their parents, it is usually nothing more harmful than a diary or a CD.
Such results may seem surprising in the context of the violent events that people hear
about in the media. Maybe because of the things they hear, parents worry that their
10 own kids might get out of control once they reach the teenage years. However, the
facts in the survey should make us feel better. The survey shows us that today’s teens
are loving and sensible. They are certainly happier than the angry people in the teenage
stereotypes we all know about. True, some teenagers are very angry, and we need to
recognize their needs, but the great majority of teens are not like that at all.
15 In contrast to some stereotypes, most teens believe they must be understanding about
differences among individuals. Many of them volunteer for community service with
disadvantaged people. When they talk about themselves, their friends and their
families, they sound positive and proud. Generally, these are very nice kids.
Is this spirit of harmony a change from the past? Only a generation ago, parent-child
20 relations were described as the “generation gap”. Yet even then, things were not so bad.
Most kids in the 1960s and 1970s shared their parents’ basic values.
Perhaps, however, it is true that American families are growing closer at the beginning
of this new millennium. Perhaps there is less to fight about, and the dangers of drug
abuse and other unacceptable behavior are now well known. Perhaps, compared to the
25 impersonal world outside the home, a young person’s family is like a friendly shelter,
not a prison. And perhaps parents are acting more like parents than they did 20 or 30
years ago.
1
Questions
1. Put an X by the TWO correct answers.
According to lines 1-7, what did the survey find out about teenagers?
….. a. They get along well with their parents.
….. b. They appreciate good CDs.
….. c. They keep secrets from their parents.
….. d. They stay in their rooms.
….. e. They like the way their parents raise them.
….. / 8 points
2. What was the most important finding in the survey? (lines 1-7)
ANSWER: ……………………………………………………………………………
….. / 4 points
3. According to paragraph two (lines 8-14), parents hear things that make them worry
about their own kids. What kind of things do they hear?
ANSWER: ……………………………………………………………………………
….. / 4 points
4. Circle the correct answer.
What is the stereotype referred to in lines 8-14?
a. Teens are people who recognize their needs.
b. Teens are loving and sensible.
c. Teens are much happier than we think.
d. Teens are angry people.
….. / 4 points
5. Circle the correct answer.
What is the main subject of paragraph three? (lines 15-18)
a. Differences between teens.
b. Stereotypes about teens.
c. The positive attitude of teens to others.
d. Volunteering for disadvantaged people.
….. / 4 points
6. Complete the sentence according to lines 19-21.
Even in the past, the “generation gap” was ……………………………...……………
……………………………………………………………..……...…………..……… .
….. / 4 points
1 Replace the words in italics in each sentence with a word of similar meaning from
the word bank.
1. If you don’t want to be treated like a child, then behave in an adult way.
………………………
2. My parents’ rules are so unfair! ………………………
3. The chef at this restaurant is an expert in making pizza. ………………………
4. When baking a cake, you must first make sure that you have all the things you
need to put in it. ………………………
5. After she told the truth, she felt better. ………………………
6. The lawyer worked out a great deal for his client. ………………………
7. It is clear that Andy is a talented artist. ………………………
8. I hate it when my parents blame me for something I didn’t do.
………………………
9. Psychologists study people’s actions. ………………………
10. Most of the students went on the school trip. Only two couldn’t go.
………………………
….. / 10 points
3 Complete the sentences with the following words. There is one extra word.
1 Circle the correct form of the verb in each sentence. All the sentences are
temporals or conditionals.
1. If you want to plan a trip abroad this summer, first … prices.
a. checks out b. will check out c. check out
2. You will feel much better once you … walking every day.
a. start b. will start c. starts
3. After you … from the game, let’s talk.
a. returns b. will return c. return
4. … your cousin an email if you want to keep in touch.
a. Write b. Will write c. Writes
5. Will you behave if I … you some candy?
a. will give b. give c. gives
….. / 5 points
2 Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
1. As soon as the movie ……………………… (finish), let’s go and have some
ice cream.
2. I can’t leave the store until the boss ……………………… (come back).
3. We will have the party outside unless it ……………………… (rain).
4. Before you ……………………… (cross) a busy street, look left and right!
5. As long as parents and teenagers ……………………… (talk) to each other,
everything will be all right.
….. / 5 points
3 Complete the sentences in a logical way. Make sure you use the correct form of
the verb.
1. The moment I get home, ……………………………………………………..… .
2. If I help you study for the test, ………………………….……………… ?
3. If I don’t understand something during the lesson, ………………………………
….…………………. .
4. When I save enough money, ………………………………...…………………. .
….. / 12 points